Robbie Keane snaps up Ireland international as he prepares to defend Hungarian title with Ferencvaros

Robbie Keane has made a shock swoop for Ireland star Callum O’Dowda as he prepares to steer Ferencvaros in their defence of the Hungarian title.

Keane led the club to the championship last season and narrowly missed out on a double, as they lost on penalties in the final to Paksi FC.

Ferencvaros confirmed the signing on their official website, stating that O’Dowda had ‘been added to the 36-time champions' men's football team.’

He is their seventh summer signing and it sees him leave Cardiff City, who were relegated last season to League One.

Instead, he can now look forward to Champions League football, with Ferencvaros entering the second qualifying round later this month.

There, they will face the winners of Noah of Armenia or Montenegran side Buducnost Podgorica.

O’Dowda, capped 32 times, can play at left-back, midfield or on the left-wing. He previously played for Oxford United and Bristol City, before his July 2022 move to Cardiff.

He is Keane’s first Irish signing of his managerial career, which has also seen him take charge of Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The pair played together briefly for Ireland, with O’Dowda’s debut coming in May 2016, shortly before Keane hung up his international boots.

They worked together again when Keane worked as a coach under Mick McCarthy in 2019.

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